New Bears DC Chuck Pagano compares former Alabama S Eddie Jackson to NFL legend
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Since the Chicago Bears selected former Alabama S Eddie Jackson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, he’s become a star.
Jackson has recorded eight interceptions, returning three for touchdowns in two NFL seasons and was a Pro Bowl player in 2018.
Heading into the 2019 season, the Bears have a new defensive coordinator in Chuck Pagano, and Pagano (who used to be a Baltimore Ravens assistant) compared him to NFL legend Ed Reed over the weekend (via the Chicago Sun-Times):
“From a talent standpoint? Very, very similar,” Pagano said. “Great instincts. Great range. Great ball skills. He’s only three years into it. Ed has a lot more time on task, obviously. He’s got a lot of the same traits. He loves football. He’s a football junkie. And again, the sky’s the limit for a guy like that.
“When you know the defense and you know what you’re doing and then you can spend all your time figuring out the offense and being one step ahead, that’s where he’s got an edge on everybody. He’s very similar to Reed.”
That’s some high praise for the young safety out of Alabama, but it’s easy to see why Pagano said what he said.
Jackson is one of the best young safeties in the game, and if he continues to improve, the Hall of Fame isn’t out of the question.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
